


The Hunters' Handbook by Bobby Singer

by Phoneboxangels



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels, Bobby is sick of rookie hunters dying on their first day, Demons, Gen, Ghosts, Handbook, Hunting, Letters, Rituals, Sigils, Supernatural Creatures, Team Free Will, guidebook, season 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-29 02:11:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoneboxangels/pseuds/Phoneboxangels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Welcome to the hunting life. Keep both hands on the wheel, a tight grip on your soul, a tighter grip on your shotgun and you might make it out in one piece.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <em>Unlikely.</em></p><p>  <em>But you’ll save a damn lot of lives doing it. And there ain’t no shame in that."</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Letter of Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in early 2013 as a birthday present for a friend. It's set during Season 6, as this made the most sense for Bobby to write it. All monster information is that which had been learned at the time of mid-season 6, or that which Bobby could reasonably be expected to know at the time. Feel free to follow me or leave feedback at thespacebeast.tumblr.com! All comments appreciated.

_March 2 nd, 2011_

_So, you’ve decided/been traumatized enough to become a hunter!_

_Congrats._

_(And no, it doesn’t get any easier. Ever. My heart bleeds for you. Behind any great hunter is the mother of all sob stories.)_

_So, for the next few months, you’re classified ‘Fresh Meat’ to any fanged, ectoplasmic or black-eyed son of a bitch within a mile of your ass. Odds are, you’ll be dead within a few months. And don’t cheer up too much if you make it that far- lucky is the hunter who makes it past the age of forty. I speak from experience. And hunters ain’t lucky people._

_Congrats again._

_Anyway, it’s come to the attention of the hunting community that something had to be done to stop the process of the time-old tale; Human living a normal life, Human loses loved one(s) in a tragic supernatural incident, Human discovers existence of the supernatural, Human decides to become hunter out of grief/rage/etcetera, Hunter encounters something they haven’t before and immediately loses his or her life. It’s a classic. And everything’s gone to hell in a handbasket on earth since the resident demon and long-lost angel population skyrocketed in the last few years._

_Hunters by definition are almost always good at what they do, because a bad hunter is already a dead hunter, whether they know it yet or not. But everyone makes mistakes and bad calls from time to time, some bigger than others._

_So here’s the new plan. You get given this kit, and you study EVERYTHING in it before you even leave your crappy motel room. It is the BARE basics you need to become a hunter who’ll last longer than five minutes.  There’s some information on equipment, commonly sighted monsters, some important symbols and rituals, a few basic supplies and some emergency material. Learn it all._

_Remember this kit is not going to automatically boot you up to professional hunter status (for a loose definition of the word ‘professional’.) This stuff is here to keep your ass alive for as long as it takes you catch up with the rest of us. Your best bet now is to find the nearest hunter, ask them about the most experienced hunter **they** know and then **track them down.** At the very least, find a partner who won’t ditch your ass as soon as a job gets too hot._

_There’s no tried and true method for hunting. Other hunters can only give you so much information, but the most valuable quality in a hunter; beyond knowledge, strength or the ability to smart-mouth your way out of trouble; is the ability to think on one’s feet. If you can’t out-think an opponent and get creative, you’re best off confining your hunting prowess to game._

_If you find something you ain’t encountered before, call for advice or get the hell out of dodge and let another hunter handle it. Going up against a monster with the wrong weapon is a sure-fire way to punch your heaven-card a few years early. (Or hell-card, as the case may be)_

_Number One Rule for you at the moment: Get informed, or get out._

_Welcome to the hunting life. Keep both hands on the wheel, a tight grip on your soul, a tighter grip on your shotgun and you might make it out in one piece._

_Unlikely._

_But you’ll save a damn lot of lives doing it. And there ain’t no shame in that._

_Idgit._

_-    R.S._

_P.S. Given what I mentioned about the term ‘Professional’ Hunter being loose terminology, you’ll get why I didn’t pack silver in every kit. Do what you have to; raid your grandmother’s heirloom cutlery chest for all I care; but **get your hands on some silver.** You’re going to need it._


	2. Hunters' Equipment and Weapons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A list of common equipment and weapons kept by hunters in this part of the world. By no means exhaustive.

_ **RESEARCH** _

_Yeah, another cliché about knowledge being power. Well, suck it up. Knowledge is the single most important item in a hunter’s arsenal, and leaving it behind is responsible for most hunters’ deaths._

_The FIRST thing to do after catching wind of a job is to FIND OUT WHAT YOU’RE UP AGAINST. Whatever your sources are, study them and study them well. Relatives of the deceased, the person attacked, neighbors, the local library, ancient hunters’ texts, the internet, the town drunk, hunters in your network, the local sheriff. Find out exactly what you’re up against, its motives, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, reasons for attacking the area, whether anything similar has been seen in the area, possible future targets, where its den or home is. And that’s all BEFORE you find out how to kill it._

_An ignorant hunter is a dead hunter._

_DO YOUR RESEARCH._

_ **Keeping an Arsenal** _

_While there may be a few exceptions, you’ll want to keep the majority of your equipment close at hand, which for most means a false bottom in the trunk of your ride. This will defeat the quick glance of most civilians and cops, but don’t go around drawing attention to yourself._

_**Salt** _

_The life-blood of the hunters’ trade. Keep a few pounds with you wherever you travel, not to mention some on your person. Salt repels and causes pain to ghosts, demons, hellhounds, and a whole host of supernatural beings; and has both offensive and defensive uses._

_On the offensive side, it can be thrown, fired from a shotgun or used to cause intense pain to a restrained demon, whether for interrogation or just plain old sadism, which can be a twisted hunter’s therapy as often as not. Salt will repel or hurt ghosts and demons in this way, but won’t do much in the way of actually harming them. Rock salt is best for packing shotgun shells._

_As a defensive measure, a circle of salt laid out on the ground will keep them away from you for as long as the circle lasts. With a crafty spirit or demon or a run of bad luck, that might not be long. A room or house can be sealed off by pouring a line of salt at all entrances, though why the black-eyed SOBs don’t just punch through the walls has confused hunters for centuries. There are theories, but I prefer to count our blessings- we have precious few of them. It goes without saying that a circle of salt around a demon will keep a demon in, and sap its powers to boot._

_Keep an eye out for breaks in the salt line. It only takes an idiot missing one gap to kill everyone in the damn room if you’re caught off guard. Spirits and demons can be crafty sons of bitches, and’ll do whatever it takes to get in. Or out, as the case may be._

_Knifes, ropes, and other restraints and weapons can be soaked in brine to restrain or cause pain to a demon or spirit as needed._

_The bones or other bodily remains of a spirit should be salted before the usual burning. It’s also a tradition when a fallen hunter is laid to rest on a pyre. (Though it may vary from culture to culture and some hunters’ religious preferences.) Most hunters have had enough tragedy in their lives to make the idea of facing their ghosts unappealing. And that’s putting it lightly._

_It’s rumored that spilling salt in front of a fairy renders it powerless until it counts every spilt grain, but fairy encounters with hunters are few and far between, so it’s difficult to verify._

_**Iron** _

_Similar to salt, iron is used to repel spirits and demons. It won’t harm either of them, it just gets ghosts to dissipate temporarily and burn a demon on contact. For that reason, cold iron is excellent for physically attacking vengeful spirits and for restraining demons. Iron can be used to kill a hellhound, if you can aim accurately enough at something invisible._

_Iron also weakens fairies, witches and a few other creatures; and iron bullets will kill a Shtriga._

_**Holy Water** _

_A weapon exclusively used to fight demons. Contact with Holy Water will burn and cause intense pain to a demon, while leaving its meat-suit intact. It’s often used to assist in interrogation of demons for information, or, on a hunt, to distract a demon long enough to exorcise it, kill it or escape it. Most hunters travel with at least a flask of it on their person. It’s most effective when thrown in a demon’s face, bad-date style, and is often used to test or prove the absence of demon possession. If you’re meeting up with another hunter, be prepared for your face to get soaked before you take a single step forward. We’re a paranoid lot._

_Introduction of holy water into the sprinkler system of a building or garden is an effective method for protecting an area on large-scale hunts._

_Combined with salt, Holy Water is an extremely powerful demon repellant._

_**Dead Man’s Blood** _

_Essential when hunting vampires. An injection or wound with a weapon covered in dead man’s blood is enough to slow down or even paralyze most vamps._

_**Paint/Chalk/Marker/Tape** _

_Keep at least one of these around if you’re going to need to draw a symbol or sigil. It’s simple as that._

_**Lighters/Matches** _

_Many purposes in hunting and various rituals, but the most common use is torching bones to lay a spirit to rest._

_**Silver** _

_A metal as useful in hunting as it is expensive. Silver can tackle a whole range of monsters, depending on how it’s used. The general rule is that it’ll cause pain on contact and destroy with a kill-shot or wound, though there are variations. For this reason, silver (or silver-coated) restraints can also be effective._

_Silver can be used to kill:_

  * _Shapeshifters. Use a knife or silver bullets_
  * _Djinn. Stab with a knife dipped in lamb’s blood_
  * _Fairies (Dark). Silver will burn their skin on contact._
  * _Lamia. The silver knife needs to be blessed first._
  * _Vetala. Silver knife._
  * _Werewolves and Skinwalkers. Silver bullets are best, aim for the heart._
  * _Wraiths. Contact with silver will burn them; a silver knife through the heart should finish them off._
  * _Zombies (Some types). Silver bullets will hurt them, but you need a silver stake through the heart to kill (or, rather, re-kill) them._



_…And about a dozen other things._

_It’s common practice to try silver weapons first when under attack by an unidentified monster._

_The problem with silver, of course, is that it ain’t cheap. Most hunters can tell you where to get a steady supply, likely the black market, but only using it as a coating on the relevant weapons can save on silver. Pure silver is best, but you’ve gotta make do with what you got._

_Seeing as how silver affects a wide-ish range of creature, it’s another useful test for hunters to prove they’re human, mainly by ruling out identity-stealing shifters as a possibility. A silver knife is usually used to nick the arm and draw blood, also ruling out any creatures who don’t bleed red._

_**EMF Detector** _

_Small electronic device that can detect fluctuations in electromagnetic levels in the immediate area. Needed to determine whether there’s been any ghost or other spirit activity in the area or around a particular object. Can be hand-made if you have the know-how and the wherewithal._

_**Infra-Red Thermo-scanner** _

_Less common, but they detect fluctuations in temperature, so this new tech always useful on a good old-fashioned ghost hunt, where cold spots are a tell._

_**Hand-held Camcorders** _

_No, you’re not making home movies. You don’t need tape- all you need is the screen, which can help pick up on electronic interference or appearances by ghosts that the human eye can’t pick up on, as well as retinal flare from shapeshifters and other monster tells._

_**Lockpick Sets** _

_Buy them; learn how to use them to get into a building you need to investigate, do it discreetly, then get the hell out._

_**Fake IDs** _

_Most hunters will be able to set you up with someone who will run you a few sets. FBI are the most useful, as local cops won’t ask too many questions if you turn up at freak ‘accidents’, but plan for and adapt to the situation before you barge in. Ditch the IDs every new case if you can, and if you’re going in under false identities, make sure you have a hunter to back them up._

_**Knives and Stakes** _

_Keep a large collection, especially hunting knives, which are multi-purpose and last a lifetime or more if you take good enough care of 'em. Pocket knives should be carried at all times._

_As far as knives and stakes go, it’s often what the stake or knife’s made of that’s important, seeing as how you’re fighting non-human creatures. Silver’s fairly common (see the entry on silver), but it entirely depends on the monster. Ordinary knives may become supernatural weapons when coated in the blood of something (or someone), or when blessed by a religious figure. For example, a bronze dagger dipped in the blood of a Siren victim will pass back the poison and kill it._

_Stakes (NOT FOR VAMPIRES), for some reason, seem to be the weapon of choice for killing a whole pantheon of pagan gods, whether the stake is Cypress, Evergreen, Olive Wood or just plain old whatever you could carve fast enough. Tricksters can be killed when an ordinary stake is dipped in the blood of one of their victims. A stake of Palo Santo from Peru is said to immobilize demons, but when all is said and done, most of us would rather skip to the holy water and salt._

_**Guns** _

_America. Land of the brave, home of the free and domain of the gun-toting redneck. The good news for the American hunter is that guns are easy to get, and as long as the authorities don’t find a stash in the trunk of your car, questions don’t tend to get asked too much._

_The make of your firearm is very much a personal preference, but the demands of hunting mean you’re going to have to carry at least one handgun. Glocks, Colts, Berettas, Tauruses, Smith & Wessons and Desert Eagles are all common in the business, often with a 7 to 11-round magazine capacity._

_Sawed-off shotguns are most hunters’ choice when hunting ghosts, mostly because the shorter barrel gives you a wider spread; and when you’re firing at a moving, incorporeal, partially-visible target with rock-salt rounds…we’re going to assume you want a wider spread. Sawed-offs can be a legal problem, as the NFA (National Firearms Act- study it, learn it) forbids civilians from carrying a shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches. Keep it hidden. Take the time between hunts to pack the shells with rock-salt._

_Rifles are good for specialist jobs, if you can get a target in the right position or don’t want to be too hands-on if the authorities that be are getting the jitters. One thing to note is that the caliber of the bullet often isn’t a concern. Given that many supernatural kills depend on what you fire from the gun rather than the damage you do, you have some leeway for choice._

_Keep your guns clean and functional. Goes without saying, really._

_**Flashlights** _

_Does it surprise you to learn that most hunting is done in the dark? Be prepared for ghosts to mess with the power, and keep spare batteries handy._

_**Other Weapons** _

_It all comes back to research. Crossbows, flames, Daggers consecrated by priests, rabbis, imams or a shaman, Swords forged in Dragon-fire, words, a silver-edged ax, collapsible straight batons, a wood-chipper. Thousands of weapons have been documented by hunters and practitioners of magical arts over the centuries, and each is matched with a monster. Depending on where you’re operating, some of these weapons may become part of your regular arsenal. Hunting a creature from abroad may need a translator to help out with the weapon. Some weapons require components or ingredients that are obsolete or unattainable, and a good hunter will find a way to work around that._

_Take the Okami, for example. Traditional method is to stab is seven times with a bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto priest. (Lot of Eastern monsters are complicated as hell like that.) Well, I was kinda under pressure at the time, but I found that shoving the thing into my neighbor’s woodchipper worked just fine. Now I doubt she’ll be inviting me over any time soon, but there you have it. And it’s more than once I’ve known hunters to have to charge a shifter armed with nothing but a silver teaspoon they found in a kitchen drawer. Idiotic, but pragmatic._

_There are many legends of powerful supernatural weapons able to permanently kill demons and other monsters, such as Samuel Colt’s revolver, demon-killing knives of the ancient Kurds and an arsenal of weapons formerly in Heaven’s possession. Some of these legends have a grain of truth to them, many don’t. Four for you if you happen upon one of them, most hunters won’t see hide nor hair of them in their lifetimes._


End file.
